Governor Kathy Hochul started a statewide listening tour focused on addressing smartphone use in schools.
This tour will include roundtable discussions with administrators, educators, parents, students and advocates over the coming months, according to a news release.
“We can help our young people succeed in the classroom by ensuring they’re learning and growing – not clicking and scrolling,” Hochul said. “That’s why I’m working with all stakeholders across the state to develop effective solutions on smartphones that help protect our kids’ mental health and deliver the best results for our schools.”
According to a Pew Research poll released in June, 72% of high school teachers nationwide say that students being distracted by cell phones is a major problem in their classroom.
Hochul stated this spring that she plans to propose a statewide policy to tackle excessive smartphone use in schools.
Many schools across the state currently have individual policies seeking to address cell phone use in their classrooms. The governor said she is focused on gathering detailed perspectives on the successes and challenges seen by various schools and stakeholders statewide based on the current patchwork of individual school policies.
